Oxford pins hopes on gene reform

SCIENTISTS have successfully transferred genes into mouse embryos using Oxford Biomedica's technology. If this can be reproduced in man, it could help cure diseases such as muscular dystrophy by replacing a faulty gene with a healthy one.

Practical obstacles are not too great, Oxford's chief executive, Professor Alan Kingsman, believes. But there are ethical hurdles before the breakthrough by Imperial College can be converted into sales. Before anyone could treat human embryos, a new regulatory process would have to be set up.

Kingsman said this will change only if someone goes to the regulators with a proposal to treat a specific disease. 'It could happen within a year,' he said. Oxford's gene therapy technology is already helping to develop medicines for cancer and Parkinson's disease. Oxford lost £9.5m last year, but has £30m in the bank.